Pantry
Kirsch
Kirschwasser
Also called kirschwasser, cherry eau-de-vie, clear cherry brandy
A clear, unaged fruit brandy distilled from fermented sour cherries, stones and all. It is dry and strong, not a sweet cherry liqueur.
Origin
The Black Forest, Alsace and northern Switzerland.
Flavour
Dry, hot, faintly bitter-almond from the cherry stones, with the fruit arriving on the nose rather than the tongue.
How it is made
Whole sour cherries are crushed and fermented, then double-distilled in copper and bottled at around 40 percent without ageing in wood.
How to use it
A tablespoon loosens a cheese fondue and keeps it smooth; a few spoons soak the sponge of a Black Forest gateau. Serve neat and cold after a heavy meal.
Storage
Sealed at room temperature, indefinitely.
Recipes using it
Black Forest gateau
Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte
Chocolate sponge soaked in kirsch, layered with whipped cream and sour cherries, finished with chocolate shavings and more cherries.
A bit of work
Cheese fondue
Käsefondue / Fondue au fromage
Gruyère and Emmentaler melted into white wine with garlic, kirsch and nutmeg, kept bubbling over a burner for bread on long forks.
Easy
Clafoutis
Clafoutis aux cerises
Black cherries baked whole in a thick, sweet batter of eggs, milk and a little flour. Limousin farmhouse dessert, served warm, stones and all.
Easy